Entry Level Computer Networking Jobs in Bowie, MD

Position Description: CGI Federal has an exciting opportunity for System Administrators within our Intel sector advancing the national security mission through cutting edge technology. You must have a passion for keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology advancements and leveraging your knowledge on a highly collaborative team to deliver state-of-the-art capabilities. The System Administrator is an entry-level IT professional who helps maintain and support an organization's computer networks and systems. They are typically responsible for routine technical support, hardware setups, managing basic user accounts, and monitoring system performance under the guidance of senior administrators. CGI Federal is growing its high-performance team whose members share a passion for building high-quality, scalable, advanced IT solutions in a collaborative, fast-paced, outcome-driven mission. This position is located in our Arlington office; however, a hybrid working model is acceptable. Your future duties and responsibilities: Key Responsibilities (Entry Level)
• Technical Support: Troubleshoot and resolve routine desktop, laptop, and software issues for end-users.
• User Management: Set up new employee accounts, manage passwords, and configure access permissions for shared files and systems.
• Hardware Setup: Assist with imaging new computers, deploying hardware, and decommissioning outdated equipment.
• System Monitoring: Monitor basic system logs and verify that automated data backups are running smoothly.
• Documentation: Keep our internal IT knowledge base or wiki updated with new fixes, manuals, and procedures.
• IT Asset Tracking: Maintain an accurate inventory of all company technology hardware and software licenses. Key Responsibilities (Junior Level)
• User Support: Act as the first point of contact for technical assistance via tickets, phone, or email.
• Access Management: Manage user accounts, onboarding/offboarding, and permission controls within Active Directory or Entra ID.
• System Maintenance: Perform routine tasks such as monitoring system health, deploying software updates, and verifying daily backups.
• Hardware & Software Setup: Install, configure, and troubleshoot hardware (PCs, laptops, printers) and software applications.
• Escalation: Identify complex network or server issues and escalate them to Tier 2 or Tier 3 administrators. Key Responsibilities (Mid-Level)
• Infrastructure Management: Administer and monitor physical/virtual servers, storage arrays (SAN/NAS), and cloud environments (AWS, Azure) to maintain peak performance.
• Tier-2 Escalations: Troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware, software, and network issues that cannot be solved by Tier-1 support.
• Automation & Scripting: Write and maintain scripts (PowerShell, Python, Bash) to automate routine tasks, patch deployments, and system configurations.
• Identity & Access: Manage enterprise directory services (Active Directory, Entra ID) including group policies, user permissions, and access controls.
• Security & Compliance: Apply security patches, manage antivirus/EDM, and assist with vulnerability remediation and compliance audits.
• Backup & Disaster Recovery: Execute and test routine data backups, replication, and failover procedures to ensure data integrity.
• Documentation: Create and maintain thorough documentation for network topologies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and system architecture.
• Vendor Management: Liaise with third-party vendors for hardware maintenance, software licensing, and escalated technical support. Key Responsibilities (Senior Level)
Complex Troubleshooting & Escalation Management
• Own and resolve Tier-3, Priority-1 (P1) catastrophic incidents (e.g., massive storage array failures, global Active Directory corruption, widespread ransomware containment).
• Conduct rigorous Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for all major outages and design architectural changes to prevent recurrence.
• Act as the direct point of contact for third-party enterprise vendors (e.g., Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, AWS) to escalate and drive complex bug fixes.
Infrastructure Architecture & Deployment
• Architect, test, and deploy hyper-converged infrastructure, virtualized environments, and clustered systems.
• Execute complex cross-forest Active Directory migrations, Office 365 tenant consolidations, and data center relocations.
• Engineer robust Disaster Recovery (DR) and business continuity architectures, leading regular failover testing and compliance audits.
Automation & Scripting
• Eliminate repetitive manual labor through advanced scripting in languages such as PowerShell, Python, or Bash.
• Utilize configuration management and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform, Ansible, or Chef to enforce system state and rapid provisioning.
Security & Compliance
• Design and implement stringent Zero Trust security postures, vulnerability management, and patch lifecycles.
• Ensure organizational compliance with strict regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or NIST/DoD 8570 via configuration baselines.
• Lead penetration testing remediations and security incident response teams. Key Responsibilities (SME Level)
Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure
• Design, deploy, and maintain hyper-converged, cloud-hybrid, and on-premises environments.
• Engineer highly available systems ensuring zero-downtime clustering, failover, and multi-site redundancy.
• Manage multi-tenant Active Directory forests, identity access management, and complex enterprise virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox).
Cybersecurity & Compliance
• Evaluate enterprise security postures, implement risk-mitigation, and enforce strict zero-trust security frameworks.
• Oversee vulnerability management, patch compliance (e.g., STIGs), and forensic analysis of security breaches.
• Develop and manage comprehensive incident response plans and disaster recovery protocols.
Advanced Automation & Scripting
• Architect complex automation scripts to manage systems configuration, diagnostics, and routine remediation tasks.
• Integrate enterprise tools utilizing APIs and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) principles (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, PowerShell, Python).
Leadership & Vendor Management
• Assume a team-lead role, supervising technical staff, delegating complex workloads, and providing tier-4 escalation support.
• Direct multiple contractor/vendor teams to project completion and serve as the final point of escalation for critical P1/P2 outages.
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) and coordinate major architectural changes. Required qualifications to be successful in this role: All roles require an active TS/SCI with Poly Entry Level:
• Education: o High School Diploma/GED with 4 years of relevant experience,
o Associates Degree with 2 years of relevant experience, o or Bachelor's Degree with 0 years of relevant experience
• Technical Knowledge: Basic understanding of Windows and macOS operating systems, networking basics, and hardware components.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional problem-solving abilities, strong communication skills, and a willingness to learn on the job. Junior Level/Moderate:
• Education: o High School Diploma/GED with 6 years of relevant experience,
o Associates Degree with 4 years of relevant experience, o Bachelor's Degree with 2 years of relevant experience, o or Masters Degree with 0 years of relevant experience
• Technical Knowledge: Foundational understanding of Windows Server, Linux, and cloud-based office environments (e.g., Microsoft 365).
• Soft Skills: Moderate communication skills for training end-users and documenting technical solutions.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to evaluate basic systems and make routine, independent decisions on standard IT requests. Mid-Level/Complex:
• Education: o High School Diploma/GED with 8 years of relevant experience,
o Associates Degree with 6 years of relevant experience, o Bachelor's Degree with 4 years of relevant experience, o or Masters Degree with 2 years of relevant experience,
o or PhD with 0 years of relevant experience
• Technical Proficiencies:
o Operating Systems: Windows Server, Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Red Hat).
o Virtualization: VMware vSphere, Hyper-V.
o Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, and LAN/WAN troubleshooting.
o Enterprise Apps: Microsoft 365, Exchange, and enterprise monitoring tools (e.g., Datadog, SolarWinds).
• Certifications (Preferred): Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate, CompTIA Server+, VMware Certified Professional (VCP), or Cisco CCNA.
• Soft Skills: Strong problem-solving, exceptional written and verbal communication, and the ability to operate independently with minimal oversight Senior Level/Exceptionally Complex:
• Education: o High School Diploma/GED with 10 years of relevant experience,
o Associates Degree with 8 years of relevant experience, o Bachelor's Degree with 6 years of relevant experience, o or Masters Degree with 4 years of relevant experience,
o or PhD with 2 years of relevant experience
• Advanced Certifications:
o Microsoft: MCSE, Azure Solutions Architect, or M365 Enterprise Administrator.
o VMware: VCAP or VCP (VMware Certified Professional).
o Cloud/Linux: AWS Certified SysOps Administrator, Linux Foundation Certified Engineer (LFCE), or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
• Deep Technical Competency: Unparalleled understanding of TCP/IP networking, SAN/NAS storage ecosystems, hypervisors (VMware ESXi, Hyper-V), and public cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP). SME Level/Exceptionally Complex:
• Education: o High School Diploma/GED with 12 years of relevant experience,
o Associates Degree with 10 years of relevant experience, o Bachelor's Degree with 8 years of relevant experience, o or Masters Degree with 6 years of relevant experience,
o or PhD with 4 years of relevant experience
• Certifications: Advanced certifications are heavily preferred, such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Red Hat Certi